Instrument connections



`June 14, 1960 A. E. LE VAN INSTRUMENT CONNECTIONS Filed Feb. '7, 1957 y INVENTOR Amb/we Elevar @,eMT/MMW ATTORNEYS United States Patent G I INSTRUMENT CONNECTIONS Ambrose E. Le Van, Hatfield, Pa., assignor to American Machine and Metals, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 638,790

2 Claims. (Cl. 244-150) This invention relates to parachute release mechanisms and particularly to a means permitting movement by the person equipped with the mechanism without arming or activating the same.

In automatic parachute release mechanisms, a time activated device having barometric control is employed for automatically operating the parachute ripcord and opening the parachute after the parachute and its attached load have left the airplane. In one form of parachute release mechanism, the parachute ripcord is operatedupon release of a powerful energized spring, the spring being connected to the ripcord. The spring is released for performing the ripcord pulling operation after a predetermined time by a suitable timing or escapement mechanism, the timing mechanism not being actuatable until a barometric device releases the same at a predetermined pressure or altitude. blocking operation of the timing mechanism until the An arming pin may be provided for pin is withdrawn therefrom, such a pin being necessary v YAfter a predetermined time lapse for allowing the person and the seat to clear the airplane, the person and ,the seat then are separated from eachother. At ythis time, vit is desirable to have the arming pin pulled from the parachute release mechanism to put the pressure and time actuated-device into an operative condition so as to permit the parachute to be opened at the desired moment in response to action of the parachute release mechanism.

Thus, av connection orV lanyard is needed between the parachute release mechanism on the wearer and the seat or other object. Prior arrangements connecting the seat with vthe arming pin have been cumbersome and unsatisfactory. The arrangement must not hinder movement "off the wearer and must not tangle or prematurely'pull lout the arming pin. The connection between the wearer and the seat must have'yielding means vso as 'to provide for unhindered movement therebetween and yet so that the connection cannot become twisted or entangled. The use of a flexible lanyard with an encompassing spring tending to shorten the connection has been found to be bulky, awkward, and susceptible of faulty operation.

One ofthe objects of the invention is to provide a means for placing a parachute release mechanism in an operative condition, yet which will permit free movement of the wearer, the means being compact, durable and positive in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting or lanyard means which will exert a substantially constant force regardless of its length.

In a preferred form, the yielding means or lanyard of the invention can be utilized inrconjunction with a parachute release mechanism having a trip or arming means normally rendering the release mechanism inoperative, movement of the trip or arming means putting the release ICC in operative condition. The lanyard assembly includes` a main body or arming knob, means separably connecting Ithe main body to the trip or arming means, rotatable spring actuated winding means, xed holding means for attachment to the ejection seat or the like, and connecting means, such as a cable, connected at one end 'to the holding means and at the other end to the winding means, the connecting means being wound around the winding means. The yielding spn'ng'means preferably is of the constant force type as will be described hereafter. This construction permits the movement of the main body a predetermined distance relative to the end of the connecting means connected to the holding means Without causing relative movement of the main body and the trip away `trom each other to arm the release. When the arming knob or main body and trip on the release are moved sufciently far relative to each other, such as when the seat is separated from the wearer, the arming pin will be pulled from thev release and such will place the release in an operative condition.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings which-are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 -is an elevational View with parts broken away and other parts shown in cross-section; and

Fig. 2. is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along the line 2-2Iof Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

A pressure responsive parachute release mechanism,

(not shown) for keeping it inan inoperative'condition until a trip or arming'pin 1A, swaged 'or suitably' fastened to cableZ, is released or withdrawn by suicient movement of the armingv cable 2 to the left (Fig. `1), a predeterrWilliarnBird and Donald R. Clark. Arming. cable 2 may be' enclosed in'a ilexible or braided tube' which Vis rmly connectedat one end to mechanism 1 and v-releasably connected at the other end to a main body, reel mechanism or arming knob assembly, shown generally I atf4. The flexible tube is removably `attached to the reel v mechanism or assembly by a clamp or socket 5 carried by the reel mechanism. 4. l l

One. end ofthe'cable 2 may have an enlargement such `as the ball swaged or suitably fasten'edthereto, 'said ball beinginovablygheld in'tube 7.' Tube 7 is insertediin Y*neck y8 of thebodyy 9 ofY the reel assembly. Tube 7 eX- tends along the'ne'ck S and can have a flange 24 to distribute stresses from the neck to the body 9. The cable and ball are laterally movable in tube '7 to permit relative movement for assembly purposes and to provide sufficient movement to prevent premature operation. The other end of arming cable 2 has the arming pin lA attached thereto, said cable and pin being slidable out of mechanism 1 and through tube 3 when the tube'S is pulled out of clamp or socket 5'. The body of the reel assembly or arming knob preferably is made of a suitable plastic that will withstand shock stresses at the large temperature changes involved, one example being that sold under the designation Tenite No. 2.

Cable 2 should not be released from mechanism 1 to place said mechanism in an operative condition until the person using the mechanism is separated from his seat or the like to which the other end of the reel mechanism is connected. However, due to the necessity of movement by the pilot relative to his seat a certain amount ot freeaegon@ 'dom'of movement "orwplywmust be provided so that 'the parachute release mechanism Will not be 'rendered operative inadvertently o-r prematurely. For this reason, `a cable .lois employed whichis connected at one end I In orderi'to 'allow for the 'puse of the reelmechanisrn can be used which is threaded at end 14 v'into a recess VVi'n'k'1'i'ur1le`d`knob lvconnected to cable '10. Alternatively, "a pluralityof keys eanbe fastened onto the hook. 'Inorder 'to piovid'ethe aforementioned movementof the'wearer'without arming ofthe release, cable 1'0 is'ar- Yranged `to 'be Wound onto rotatable drum '16`Whe'n th'e cable is in 'its nonQeXtende'd 'or retracted position, t'hje -cable being held in'its'Woundpositionbyspialorlcoiled "spring 1'7.

shouldfbeexe'rtedby spring 17 regardless of the extension ofthe cable it) relative to assembly `4. Tliusfthe spring V17 must have constant tension "characteristics `In a preferred form, the spring is-of 'the non-cumulative -'force ribbon type 'having va non-:Hat crosss'ection, "the spring being formed so that the spring force is developed where the straightening action from an arcuateto -a flat "cross-sectionitakes place. "in such a spring,'the sections are related so that there is an equal resistance to'straightening along the entire spring. One example of a preferred 'form of such a spring is found inPatent'No. l22,609,193.

"through suitable "apertures, .said :screw'sengaging `spring anchor "23.

VDiso vZZ may haveradiant onliu'ninous materia-l '20 lfthereon, opaque indiciabeingplaced on'the bter sur- -facesoV that the iridicialwill appear ing-silhouette. i Trans- .parentpanel 18 can`be heat sealed to disc Y22. enclosing Qthef radiant material'fandindicia, thedisc'fZZ in turn be- :ng cementedto the Wallsof the 'cavity"in` bo`dy 9.

In "summary, the invention incitspr'ef'erred form'is -itil'ized With-a `parachute release rechanismin which 'theparaehut'e ripcordis operated by release' of a power- -ful energized spring. IThe timing rneehaiiismk may be ,provided with anarmingpin forblocking'its operation -tofprevent prematureffunctioning untilthe pin! is wi-thdrawn therefrom. The Wound cable' of the lanyar'd connection having constant lforce characteristics permits .movement of the wearer Withoutan'yhindrance and without prematurely removing the arming pin from the para- "chute frere'ase 'mechanism It is to Ibe understood that details of construction can be varied without departing from the spirit of the in- 5 vention except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A lanyard device forapa'rachnte release mechanism eomprisinga-main body, cable means Vreleasably connected to ahvv actiiatig'mechanism'and slidably connected atozthefm'ainbodyfsoxthat themainliodycan.movetalimited distance 4v'relative Eto fsaid lactuating mechanism vwithout causing separation of said cable meansefronrsaidact'ating mechanism, `saidable Ymeans -being separated from said actuating mechanism when the .relativey movement between said actuating mechanism and sai'dlmain body exceeds said limited amount, winding means carried by said body, said winding means having a non-cumulative force spring therein formed so that the spring force is developedwhere :the "straightening action from' the arcuate to 'af iiat fseeition'takes piace,l thesections ofsad sprngbeingfrelatefd 'sb'ithatthereisan equal resistancelto straightening aong the entire spring, xed holding means,V and connecting 'means connected'at o'ne Vend :':t'o saidiholdingtm'eans g'and at thefoth'er" end' to said Winding 'means and' Wound' tlie- ""on, "therebyjpermitting said main body `to- 'be moved a predetermined distance relative to'said one end'withot -`causingrelative movement of thefmain "body 'and the Y "actuatingmechanismaway from each other. l 2. A `lajyard device for Ylafparac-hute 'release mecha- "nsm'compr'ising a mainbody, means f-re'leasably eonne'eti ing the l main body to "a #parachute actuating mechanism so that, iwlien; there 'is relative movement "between lsaii actuating mechanism /andsaid mainfbody avvayfi'c')'Inl eaeh other, fthe re'leasable4 connecting vmeans Willbesepa'rated "from said j'actuating mechanism, Winding means "carried `by saidb'ody, said Winding meanshaving a noncumulative ribbon forcesspring'therein,'said` spring Ihaving aA non- 'ing'fniechanifsm' away fromeach' other.

"RferencesCited in the file ofihis patent -UNrTEDfsTATns PATENTS 2,114,897 Bird-etal. --.Amara .-193.8 236095193 roster sept/2,4952 vzgszziroo Geyer Y fDeC.- 2391952 

